Refrigerator car floor



June 13, 1939. G, G, @.LPlN 2,162,078

REFRI'GERATOR CAR FLOOR Filed April 22; 1937 ufff" I -YUeU/or: Graff/16.515011? Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments, to

Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 22, 1937, Serial No. 138,309

9 Claims.

'Ihe invention relates to refrigerator cars which are used to transport perishable commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, sh, candies, ilowers, etc., and more particularly to a iloor construction thereof, and has for its object to provide a very eiicient, strong and light iloor construction which is economic to manufacture and easy to build in the car.

Formerly ice was conined in an ice basket in the bunker of a railway refrigerator car and the lading was cooled by circulation of air around the ice and between the perishable commodities in the lading compartment, and the water from the melting ice was trapped and drained to the exterior of the car so that it was impossible for the water to damage the insulation of the car. In recent years, however, it has become common practice to put cakes of ice on top of the perishable commodity containers after they are loaded in the car. Some fresh vegetables and ferns are frequently loaded in the car by alternating layers of such vegetables (or ferns) with layers of cracked ice. Perishable commodities are also preserved by blowing pulverized ice over and between the packages after they are loaded in the car. These and other methods of cooling Where the ice is in contact with the lading result in considerable water in the car. (Cars are sometimes precooled by putting cakes of ice in the car and closing the doors and allowing the ice to melt. Condensation (or sweating) also causes moisture in the car). If the water is allowed to contact the insulation the insulating value thereof would be decreased, and one of the principal objects of this invention is to prevent the water from destroying or reducing the eciency of the insulation.

Another object is to protect the oor insulation by covering it with a plurality of metallic sheets and providing means to connect (preferably by welding) the adjacent sheets together from the inside of the car While the metallic sheets are in place in the car without igniting the oor insulation, and whereby the sheets may be disconnected without disturbing the insulation (or the welded material may be burned off without igniting the floor insulation) when it is desired to remove a metallic sheet for replacement. Welding the sheets together provides a waterproof joint which prevents water in the car from coming in contact with the floor insulation.

Another object is to provide a beam at the meeting edges of adjacent sheets and welded material securing the adjacent sheets together, which beam provides walls between the line of welding and the licor insulation to protect the insulation from the heat and drops of molten metal while the sheets are being welded together. This construction also provides a space (or spaces) between the line of wel-d and the walls of the beam to protect the floor insulation from the heat of the welding process.

Another object of the welded metallic sheet floor covering is to prevent infiltration of air from below the car to the inside of the car. A railway car in motion causes considerable movement of air between the car and the roadbed.

While the invention is shown applied to the floor of a railway refrigerator car it may be used in an insulated wall, such as side wall, end wall, roof or door of a railway car or automotive truck.

Another object is to provide the metallic sheet with U-shaped marginal flanges and weld the edges of the outer portions of such marginal anges together whereby the U-shaped flanges partially protect the insulation from the heat of the welding and, furthermore, provide a channel shaped beam straddling the marginal flanges to further protect the insulation from such heat.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a typical application of my device to a floor of a railway refrigerator car.

Figs. 2-5 inclusive show modied structures.

The drawing shows the usual parts of the car,` such as side sill I; side wall sheathing 2; side wall lining 3; side wall insulation 4; side wall framing 5 upper flooring 6; sub-flooring I and floor insulation 8.

The car floor comprises two metallic sheets I0 having adjacent U-shaped marginal flanges, each U-shape ange comprising an inner portion II and outer portion I2, and a connecting web I3. The metallic sheets are positioned above the car floor insulation 8 to protect it and means are provided to weld the adjacent margins of adjacent sheets together.

In the preferred construction such attaching means comprises a channel member I8 stradding the U-shape marginal flanges and welded material I9 securing the edges of the said outer portions I 2 together.

If desired the two adjacent outer portions I2 of the marginal anges may be secured together by the rivets 2|, as shown in Fig. 4. Whether welded or riveted the means to secure the outer portions I2 together are entirely within the channel member I8 and some self-hardening material 23 may be used to lill the U-shaped flanges so that a smooth floor is obtained.

the edges of said flanges together.

The inner portions II. of the U -shaped flanges are preferably in spaced relation to the opposite walls of the channel member I8 to provide -air spaces 26 therebetween. These walls 25v may justability between the sheets, as shown in Fig. 2. y

Fig. 3 shows a channel member 30 having relatively short upstanding walls 3| forming the channel and the U-shaped flanges of the sheets which are provided with relatively short outer portions 32 which are in parallel relation and Welded together at 33.

The flooring 6 may or may not be used. When the flooring is not used the channel members 36 are relatively deep and strong, as shown in Fig. 4, but when the flooring is used, as shown in Fig. 5, the channel member 31 may be relatively shallow and let into a groove in the flooring 6.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A floor for arrefrigerator car comprising a wooden flooring, a channel member let into said ooring, two metallic sheets resting upon said flooring and having adjacent U-shaped marginal anges positioned within said channel member,

and welded material securing the edges of said flanges together. Y

2. A floor for a refrigerator car 'comprising a wooden flooring, a channel member let into said flooring having a web and upstanding flanges,

` said flanges being provided with reflanges which rest upon said flooring, two metallic sheets rest-` ing upon said flooring Yand having adjacentl U-V shapedrmarginal flanges positioned within said channel member, and welded material securing 3. A licor for a refrigerator car comprising a wooden flooring, a Ychannel member let into said flooring, two metallic sheets resting upon said flooring and having adjacent U-shaped marginal flanges positioned within said channel member, welded material securing the edges of said flanges together, and self-hardening material lling the U-shaped flanges to the plane of thev metallic sheet.

4. A refrigerator car wall comprisingV two metallic sheets having adjacent U-shaped marginal flanges each comprising an inner and outer portion connected by a web, a channel member straddling the U-shaped marginal flanges, insulation on the flanged side of the sheets, and welded material securing the edges of said outer portions together whereby the channelY member protects the insulation from being ignited by the weldingl 5. A refrigerator" car wall comprising two metallic sheets having adjacent U-shaped marginalV flanges each comprising an inner and outer portion connected by a web, a channel member straddling the U-shaped marginal flanges, insulation on the flanged side of the sheets, and welded material securing the edges of said outer portions together whereby the channel member protects the insulation from being ignited by the welding,xsaid outer portions diverging from each other to provide flexibility between theV sheets.

6. A refrigerator car wall comprising two metallic sheets having adjacent U-shaped marginal flanges each comprising an inner and outer portion connected by a web, a channel member straddling the U-shaped marginal flanges, insulation on the flanged side ofthe sheets, and welded material securing the edges of said outer portions together whereby the channel member protects the insulation from being ignited by the welding, said sheet marginal flanges being entirely within the channel member.

tallic sheets having adjacent U-shaped marginal flanges each comp-rising an inner and outer por' tion connected by a web, a channel 'member straddling the U-shaped marginal flanges with:

the flanges thereof spaced apart from the sheet flanges to provide spaces therebetween', insulation` on theanged side of the sheets; and welded ma terial securing the edges of said outer portionstogether whereby thechannel member protects the insulation from being ignited'by the welding.

8. A refrigerator car wall comprising two metallicV sheets having adjacent U-shaped marginall channel member, and welded material securing the edges of said flanges together,

GARTH G. GILPIN.

'30T 7. A refrigerator'car wall comprising'two me` 

